“I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed” (Romans 15:30-32).

Paul asked for prayer with boldness. He urged the Romans to pray for him, “by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit.” And he didn’t just ask for a blanket prayer to cover him in all ways at all times. He asked them to pray for him specifically, particularly in those areas where he struggled most. He asked that he would be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that his service in Jerusalem would be acceptable to the saints there, and that he would be able to come to them in Rome with joy and together with them be refreshed.

These struggles were real, as the dangers that faced Paul on his trip to Jerusalem-and then on to Rome-were significant. If you read about this trip in the book of Acts (chapters 21-28), you’ll see that Paul was captured, imprisoned, and threatened with death on several occasions, not counting the shipwreck that obliterated his ship along the way. Paul needed prayer, and I have no doubt that the prayers of the Christians in Rome helped to sustain him all along the way.

But it’s not easy to ask others to pray for you. I know. Just last week I was celebrating my 23rd wedding anniversary in New York City with my superb wife, Lana. We had an awesome time, filled with fun, romance and a wonderful walk through Central Park. But on the last day of the trip, I got sick-and not just a little sick, but a violent, wrenching sickness like I haven’t experienced in a long time.

At one point, Lana asked if she should call a few people and ask them to pray for me. I said, “No, I’ll be all right.” I hoped it would just pass quickly, and I didn’t want to worry anyone, as they knew we were on our anniversary trip together. But as the hours passed, and I was just getting worse and not better, I finally agreed and Lana made a few calls.

Although the sickness persisted throughout the night and on into the next few days, I felt different immediately, just knowing that others were praying for me and checking in on me from time to time. I was also able to see the fact that I was sick in a new way, realizing that my body was doing just what it should do in trying to forcefully expel whatever had maliciously entered into it.

It turned out I had the flu and the healing process that God had begun on that first day finally prevailed. Thankfully, I’m almost back to full strength again. Unfortunately for Lana, she got what I had a few days later, so you can still pray for her!

The reason I bring this up today is to let you know that I understand what it’s like to need prayer, but not want to ask for it-especially at those times when we feel the weakest. But the truth is, without prayer, we’ll just get weaker and weaker. With prayer, God can give us the strength we need to go on.

I also wanted to tell you this story because prayer not only changes things, it changes the way you look at things. Even though I still had to walk through the rest of my sickness, I was able to realize that the very thing that was making me feel sick was the very thing that was bringing my healing. By being able to look at what I was feeling differently, I was able to better endure the rest of what I had to go through.

Prayer really can renew your mind, and by enlisting others to pray for you can help you to renew your mind even faster.

If there’s an area in your life where you’re struggling today, I want to encourage you to do as Paul did and enlist others to join you in your struggle-through prayer. As Paul said,

“I urge you… to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.”

There are all kinds of struggles you might be facing right now: whether they’re struggles with lust or secret sins, fear or doubts, real dangers or imaginary dangers, hardships, relationships or bothersome thoughts. The list is endless. The beauty of prayer is that it can address every single struggle you could possibly face.

One of my friends and mentors says that everyone needs a prayer team. You don’t have to be in full-time ministry, or going through a particular crisis, to ask people to pray for you on a regular basis. You could be an expectant mother or a struggling student, a successful architect or an aspiring teacher. You could be married or single, with kids or without. You could be needing money or managing your money. You could be traveling full-time or at home full-time. Whatever you’re doing or going through, you can benefit by enlisting others to pray for you.

Not sure who to ask? You might ask a friend, or a co-worker, or a neighbor. You might ask a pastor or a priest. You might ask someone you don’t even know, like Lana and I did last week in New York. We were blessed to visit a couple of different churches, and at one church, I sensed the man sitting next to me was a truly “a believer.” I could tell from his “Amens” that he not only believed in God, he believed in the power of God. So after the service, I asked if he could pray for us. He was not only glad to pray, but he invited us to dinner, which we unfortunately had to decline because of our schedule.

At another church, we were talking to a man outside the church before the service, and afterward, we connected again. This time we asked if we could pray for him, and then he returned the favor and prayed for us.

For years now, we’ve been asking for and benefiting from the prayers of others. We’ve asked for prayer from family and friends, small groups and Sunday School classes. We asked for prayer back when we were single, when we were dating, when we got married, and when we started having children.

When Lana was diagnosed with cancer this year, she set up a blog to keep others updated and let them know how they could pray for us. The effects have been tremendous already, as the prayers of others have given us both an abundance of strength, wisdom, healing and encouragement.

If you’re going through a struggle in life, you don’t have to go through it alone. Enlist others to join you in your struggle by praying to God for you. (If you’re not sure who to ask for prayer, or just want to get some additional prayers from believers who love to pray, I’ve included a link in the P.S. below where you can post your prayers on our website and enlist others to pray for you.)

By the way, the Apostle Paul did eventually make it to Rome, just as he had asked the Romans to pray for him.

It may not have been exactly the way he expected, or the timing he expected, but he did get there, through God’s strength-and the prayers of others. As the last chapter of the book of Acts records:

“When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him… For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 28:30-31).

Will you pray with me?

Father, thank You for showing us the value of enlisting others to pray for us. Help us to reach out to others when we’re struggling so that we won’t become weaker and weaker, but grow stronger and stronger each day through Your strength. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

P.S. If you don’t have someone to pray with you, or if you’d just like to get some additional prayers from believers who love to pray, we have a special prayer page set up on our website where you can post your prayer. Although we’re not able to respond in person to all of the prayer requests that come in, we do have about 275 volunteers who have signed up to receive these prayer requests each day and who are glad to pray for you and your needs. To post a prayer request, or to read the requests of others and pray for them, too, please visit:Prayer Requests

Questions for Reflection
1. Read Romans 15:30-33 . What are some reasons people might be hesitant to ask for prayer?
2. What difference could it make if you enlisted others to pray for you?
3. In what areas are you struggling right now where you could ask others to pray for you?
4. Who are some specific people that might be willing to pray for you?

To read more from this series, Romans: Lessons In Renewing Your Mind,please visit:

One of the things I love about the human heart is that it’s wired to help others when they’re in need. I see this repeated over and over: when a natural disaster strikes a town, or when a terrible wrong is committed against someone who’s done right, or when a beloved friend passes away. When people see a need, they often respond with caring hearts.

But even though our hearts are wired to help others in need, sometimes we need a little prompting. Sometimes we need to remind our minds of the blessings we’ve received from others, and then our minds can nudge our hearts to respond as we should.

The Apostle Paul gives two such reminders in his letter to the Romans. The first comes when he tells them that he’s planning to visit them in the future when he passes through Rome on his way to Spain. Paul says:

“But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while” (Romans 15:23-24).

While mentioning that he is looking forward to enjoying their company for a while, Paul also mentions that he hopes to have them assist him on his journey to Spain. I don’t think Paul was trying to “guilt” them into helping him on the next leg of his missionary journey. From what I’ve read about Paul in his other writings, I believe he simply knew that their hearts would want to help on his journey. After all, his own heart was wired in the same way.

In the very next paragraph, Paul mentions that he’s on his way to deliver a gift to the Jewish brothers and sisters who were in need in Jerusalem, gifts which he had collected from the churches in Macedonia and Achaia. Paul says:

“Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ” (Romans 15:25-29).

Paul understood this blessing of giving and receiving, that when someone blesses you in your life, it is good and right and appropriate to share your blessings with them at some point in return, freely and voluntarily.

On a personal level, I know that my heart is often moved to help others on their journey, especially those who have been a blessing to me.

When I first became a Christian, I remember hearing about “tithes and offerings,” giving ten percent and more of your income to the work of God in the world. I hadn’t tithed before, not because I was against it, but because I simply didn’t have this principle in my mind yet. But once I understood this principle in my mind, my heart was glad to respond–thrilled to respond, in fact.

I remember some of the first “big” checks I wrote to support the work of God in the lives of missionary friends I knew (at least they were big to me, as I had never done this before). I was thrilled to be able to help my friends in a significant way each month. I didn’t feel obligated or guilted into it in any way. I just knew the blessing of hearing about Christ in my own life, and I was glad to help my friends share about Christ with others. It’s all part of this idea of giving and receiving–sharing with others the blessings that God has given to us.

Now that I’m in full-time ministry myself, I sometimes have to remind myself that when I share a need, God is often prompting others to respond at the same time. I have to remember that it’s not an obligation or a burden to others to hear about and respond to needs. It’s the way God has wired our hearts. Knowing this has helped me to be more open about my own needs in life, and I’ve been thankful to see how people have responded to those needs.

In the past few months, I’ve been amazed again at the generosity of others, including many of you, who have stepped in and helped my wife and I as we walk through my wife’s journey with cancer.

I have been humbled and reminded frequently just how good and kind and caring the human heart really is. Sometimes we miss this truth, especially when we are bombarded with such bad news about the wicked things that people have done in the world.

Of course there’s bad in the world. Of course, there’s wickedness, greed, evil, and depravity. But all of this stems from good hearts that have been corrupted by sin–usually related to some kind of selfishness. But when our hearts are right with God, something else takes over–something called selflessness; doing to others what you would have them do to you, and giving your life for the sake of others, just as Jesus gave His life for us.

Assisting others on their journey is not foreign to the human heart. But sometimes it takes a little prompting from our minds and the Holy Spirit to get our hearts in gear.

This week, I heard about some friends who have been praying about buying a van and a mammogram machine so they can go back to their home villages in Kenya and do cancer screenings for the women their. Perhaps because of my wife’s recent diagnosis, but my ears were especially attentive to their request, and my heart wanted to respond. I didn’t know what I could do or how I could help, but I was willing to find out.

I called my friends and listened as they talked about their hopes and dreams and prayers for this project. I’m still not sure what I can do yet, but now my heart and mind are both engaged and attuned to the need. As my friends move forward with their plans, perhaps we can find a way to take part along the way.

At the same time, I was surprised this week by a note from one of our readers overseas who asked if there was anything special Lana and I needed at this time. He had been blessed by our ministry and wanted to do something in return. Although I hesitated to share our personal needs with him, in the end I did share a few things that we had been praying about. Within a few hours, he had responded by saying he wanted to send a gift that would not only cover those needs that I had shared, but that would double the amount of what I had shared!

To me, this was a living example of what Paul was talking about in his letter to the Romans, when those who had received spiritual blessings responded by sending a gift of material blessings.

The human heart really is wired to respond to the needs of others, and often the only thing holding us back is making our minds aware of the needs around us so our hearts can respond.

With this in mind, I’d like to encourage you to be on the lookout for ways that God might want to use you to bless others, especially those who have been a blessing to you. Perhaps you have a friend or relative who has gone out of their way to spend some time with you. Perhaps you have a spiritual leader or mentor or ministry than has spoken into your life in a special way. Perhaps you have a project or a school or an organization which has been a blessing to you, and now you can be a blessing to them.

I know your heart is good and eager to assist others on their journey, but sometimes it takes a little reminder like this to jog your memory and bring it to the forefront of your mind.

I pray that as God renews your mind in this way, that the natural response of your heart will follow. Don’t ignore the promptings that God puts there. Don’t put them off until the feelings “go away.” Lean into those promptings and see what God may have in mind for you–and for those He wants to bless through you.

Will you pray with me?

Father, thank You for blessing us in various ways by the people around us. Help us to be attentive to their needs as well, so that we can be a blessing to them. Refresh our minds again today about practical ways that we can help them, then nudge our hearts to follow through on those thoughts. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Reflection
1. Read Romans 15:23-29. In what ways could the Christians in Rome have possibly assisted Paul on his journey to Spain?
2. Read Acts 28:7-10. In what ways did the people of Malta respond to the blessings they received from Paul?

3. Who are some people in your life who have been a blessing to you? In what ways might you be able to bless them in return?
4. In what ways could you open your mind still further to the needs around you in order to meet those needs yourself? Consider praying that God would renew your mind in this area, so He can work His blessings through you.

To read more from this series, Romans: Lessons In Renewing Your Mind,please visit:

32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; 34 they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.”

46 They came to Jericho. As he and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. 47 When he

heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 48 Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” 50 So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

4 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

22 “You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know— 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law. 24 But God raised him up, having freed him from death, because it was impossible for him to be held in its power

15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; 16 and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written,

‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?

But you have made it a den of robbers.”

18 And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. 19 And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.

Even those who aren’t particularly sympathetic to Israel ‘s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, could get a good measure of satisfaction from this interview with British Television during the retaliation against Hamas’ shelling of Israel.
The interviewer asked him: “How come so many more Palestinians have been killed in this conflict than Israelis?” (A nasty question if there ever was one!)

Netanyahu: “Are you sure that you want to start asking in that direction?”

Interviewer: (Falling into the trap) Why not?

Netanyahu: “Because in World War II more Germans were killed than British and Americans combined, but there is no doubt in anyones mind that the war was caused by Germany ‘s aggression. And in response to the German blitz on London , the British wiped out the entire city of Dresden , burning to death more German civilians than the number of people killed in Hiroshima.

Moreover, I could remind you that in 1944, when the RAF tried to bomb the Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen, some of the bombs missed their target and fell on a Danish children’s hospital, killing 83 little children. Perhaps you have another question?”

Apparently, Benjamin Netanyahu gave an interview and was asked about Israel ‘s occupation of Arab lands.

His response was, “It’s our land”. The reporter (CNN or the like) was stunned.

Read below “It’s our land…” It’s important information since we don’t get fair and accurate reporting from the media and facts tend to get lost in the jumble of daily events.

Here are overlooked facts in the current & past Middle East situation.

These were compiled by a Christian university professor:

BRIEF FACTS ON THE ISRAELI CONFLICT TODAY…(It takes just 1.5 minutes to read!)

It makes sense and it’s not slanted. Jewand non-Jew — it doesn’t matter. 1. Nationhood and Jerusalem – Israel became a nation in 1312 BCE, Two thousand years before the rise of Islam.

2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel. 3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 BCE, the Jews have had dominion over the land for one thousand years with a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years.

4. The only Arab dominion since the conquest in 635 CE lasted no more than 22 years. 5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital. Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem , they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit.

6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned once in the Koran.

7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem . Mohammed never came to Jerusalem .

9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: in 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews . Sixty-eight percent left without ever seeing an Israeli soldier.

10. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab lands due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms.

11. The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000. The number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands is estimated to be the same.

12. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or integrated into the Arab lands to which they fled, despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own people’s lands. Jewish refugees were completely absorbed into Israel , a country no larger than the state of New Jersey ..

13. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: the Arabs are represented by eight separate nations, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won.

14. The PLO’s Charter still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied them.

15. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths.

16. The UN Record on Israel and the Arabs: of the 175 Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against Israel .

17. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel .

18. The UN was silent while 58 Jerusalem Synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians.

19. The UN was silent while the Jordanians systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives .

20. The UN was silent while the Jordanians enforced an apartheid-like a policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.

Israel is the center of Bible Prophecy, and God Blesses those who Bless Israel – Genesis 12:3

Shalom Teresa,

According to the rabbis, both the first and second Temples in Jerusalem were destroyed on the exact same day – the 9th of Av which corresponds this year to July.

The central point of Christianity is in its name: Christ or Messiah Yeshua (Jesus). However, Christians have little understanding of The Temple as they are not taught about its significance in relation to God, the Jewish people, or the Coming Messiah.

On the other hand, every day millions of Orthodox Jewish men read from their prayer books, petitioning God for the re-establishment of the Temple and that the Messiah will come speedily in our days.

And today there are 12 Orthodox organizations in Jerusalem that have everything ready for the rebuilding of the Third Temple.Jewish priests have been identified through DNA testing, priestly garments have been woven, and a Yeshiva has been set up for their training. The vessels and furnishings for the Temple have been recreated, and the Sanhedrin has been reinstituted. Now, it’s only a matter of time…Just over 1900 years ago, the Temple in Jerusalem was destroyed and one million Jews were murdered by the Romans and scattered to the four corners of the earth.

Today we are living in exciting times. Here in our lifetime we have witnessed Israel reborn in a single day when the United Nations approved the creation of the Jewish State on May 14, 1948. Unfortunately 6 million Jews perished in Hitler’s Holocaust before they fled to their ancient Homeland.

This national event was a fulfillment of prophecies made 2500 years ago in Isaiah 11:11-12 and 66:8, Ezekiel 36:24-28, and Jeremiah 16:14-15, as it says that Israel would be created in a day, and the Jewish people would be re-gathered back to the Holy Land. Is this not proof that we are living in the End of Times? No other ancient nation in the world has ever re-emerged! God keeps His covenants.

Currently the United States, the European Union, China, Russia, and the other G20 countries are trying to negotiate a two-state solution so that the “Palestinians” can have their own country within Israel. A major contention in these negotiations is Jerusalem and the place where the Holy Temple once stood.Today this place is occupied by the Al Aqsa and Dome of the Rock Mosques.Though some countries want to see Israel and a new Palestinian State divide Jerusalem, some UN member nations adhere to the UN proposal that Jerusalem should have “international status” and be controlled by an IGO (International Governmental Organization) which is made up of these UN member countries. In other words a “one world government body” that oversees Jerusalem and the Temple Mount Area.Is this another sign that we are living in the end of times?Make an everlasting difference for Eternity Teresa, pleaseclick here now

The “Temple” was first created by Moses as God told him the exact details of how the Jewish people were to create the Mishkan (Tabernacle) in the wilderness.

Exodus 25:Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering.” It details the types of offerings such as gold, silver, bronze, yarns, fine linens, ram skins, acacia wood, oils, spices, incense, and precious stones.These would be used to make the Ark of the Covenant (which was where the Ten Commandments were kept), the Table of Showbread, the Golden Menorah, and all the other furnishings.Then God goes into great detail of how Moses is to consecrate the Priests who will perform all of the daily rituals and services before the Lord in His sanctuary. It is a whole chapter about different type of offerings including the sacrificing of lambs and bulls for sin offerings, and how to cover the alter with the blood.Exodus 29: 34 ends with: “So I will consecrate the TENT OF MEETING (TABERNACLE) and the altar, and will consecrate Aaron and

his sons to serve me as priests. Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.”

Over the next 400 years, the priests continued their duties, but the people worshipped other gods, and the Ark of Covenant did not remain with the Tabernacle. At one point it was stolen by the Philistines, though it was later returned after the Lord sent a plague on them.

When David became King his desire was to build a permanent home for the Ark of the Covenant. He wanted a Temple which would fill the skyline of Jerusalem and be a place of worship to the Lord.

1 Chronicles 28: King David said “I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it.’ But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’… The Lord said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts.’

King Solomon built the Temple in all its glory. Every morning before dawn, the Priests dressed in their fine white linens would line up, and blow their silver trumpets, other priests would sing Praises to the Lord, while the morning sacrifices (various offerings along with sin offerings) would begin. Imagine, thousands of Jewish people worshipping Adonai (the Lord) on the Temple Mount.

This lasted 371 years until 586 BCE, when King Nebuchadnezzar took the Jews captive to Babylon and destroyed the Temple on Tish B’Av (9th day of Av). For seventy years the Jews were in exile in Babylon.

The Temple’s destruction was actually prophesied by both Isaiah and Micah, about 150 years before it happened. Isaiah was very specific, even stating WHEN the Temple would be rebuilt (70 years after its destruction). And it happened! He also prophesied WHO would help rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple, even though the person (King Cyrus of Persia) was not even born!

The Lord says toCyrus, “He is My shepherd, and he shall perform all My pleasure, even saying to Jerusalem, ‘You shall be built,” and to the Temple, “Your foundation shall be laid.” Isaiah 44:28

Ezekiel and Jeremiah also prophesiedabout 100 years later that the Temple would be destroyed and the Jews scattered, only for God to re-gather them again to His holy city Jerusalem and to rebuild the Temple.These prophecies have historically been proven.
We need to show them to the Jewish people today!If the Jewish people are made aware of these prophecies, then they will also be open to what the prophets said about Who and Whenthe Messiah comes, and you can help us do this Teresa.Now, let’s skip forward some 500 years to a climatic event in history… the Messiah is born!

Yeshua was the firstborn male child in his family, therefore after he was born, he was taken to the Temple to be dedicatedby Miriam and Yosef. Luke 2:22Every year Yeshua went with his family to the Templefor the festival of Passover. One year his parents thought he was lost and after three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Luke 2:41At age 30 Yeshua proclaims that he is the Messiah and the Son of God and he chases the money changers out of the Temple as he calls it, “My Father’s House.”

Yeshua went to the Temple, to celebrate Chanukah (the festival of dedication). John 10:22-23

While celebrating Sukkot at the Temple in Jerusalem, Yeshua declared during the Water Pouring Ceremony, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.” John 4:13-14

Yeshua said, “I am the Temple, destroy me, and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:19. Yeshua was crucified, there was an earthquake and the veil in the Temple was torn in two.

Then 37 years after Yeshua ascends to heaven from the Mount of Olives, the “Second” Temple was destroyed, again on Tish (the 9th day) of Av, by the Romans. A million Jews were killed, and the majority who survived were taken captive into the Roman Empire.

And that is why on the 9th of Av, the rabbis proclaimed it is as a holy (fast) day. Jews will mourn the destruction of the Temple, as the Islamic Dome of the Rock stands in its place.

As Believers in Yeshua, we don’t mourn, we celebratethat Yeshua fulfilled the prophecies concerning the Temple (Daniel 9) and that He will soon return, as King Messiah to reign in Jerusalem.

This is an article from the Jerusalem Post; please pray for the people of Israel this weekend. I fear that there may be big trouble brewing. Also, pray for President Obama’s eyes to be opened to how important our alliance with them is.

Abbas Zaki says the Palestinians, inspired by Middle East unrest, may launch new intifada on ‘Nakba Day‘ if they have lost hope in peace talks.

Talkbacks (6)

The Palestinian leadership won’t be able to contain the street protests planned for this weekend marking the 63rd anniversary of the creation of Israel, said a senior member of Central Committee of the Fatahmovement.Abbas Zaki, whose tasks include monitoring the Arab Spring revolts, told The Media Line that Palestinians have been encouraged by how Arabs across the Middle East have toppled two leaders and threaten others with mass protests. With no peace talks with Israel on the horizon, Zaki warned, the Palestinian leadership will be hard pressed to contain the rage of demonstrators.RELATED:IDF reinforcing W. Bank troops ahead of ‘Nakba Day’Abbas: No third intifada; PA seeks int’l recognition“The Palestinian leadership has faced a dead end and has been unable to advance the many Palestinian issues even a bit. This leadership won’t be able to quiet the street, which has witnessed the success and achievements of the Egyptians and Tunisians. The Palestinian people will react according to its level of hope in a peaceful solution,” Zaki said.

On Sunday, Palestinians will mark the so-called “Nakba,”or “catastrophe” as they refer to the creation of Israel. Israel is looking at the demonstrations planned for the weekend as a test case for the Palestinian security forces.

While “Nakba Day” has been marked for many years, this year’s commemoration and the security forces handling of it will be the first since Fatah has joined the rival Hamas movement in a national unity government. Although the government has yet to be formally constituted, the prospects of Hamas having a say in Palestinian security in the West Bank has raised the hackles of Israeli security officials.

Until now, Fatah, which has been in on-again-off-again peace talks with Israel, has exclusive control of the West Bank while Hamas, an Islamic group sworn to Israel’s destruction, has ruled in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli Defense Forces have been put on high alert in the West Bank for the possibility that Palestinian demonstrators could clash with residents of Jewish communities, security sources said.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz visited troops on Wednesday and briefed commanders on possible scenarios, including extreme violence, despite word from Palestinian security forces that they will be aiming at keeping tensions low, the IDF spokesman said in a statement.

“The IDF estimates that events on the ground could lead to violence, even if no side is interested in such a scenario,” the statement said.

Col. Avi Gil, commander of the Ephraim Brigade, instructed his troops to be on high alert and increase their vigilance. “We are preparing for the possibility of a Third Intifada or any other extreme scenario on ‘Nakba Day’,” he told Army Radio. “We are conducting situational assessments and preparing.”

Israeli security sources told The Media Line that the recent reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas could lead to outlawed Hamas members participating in Palestinian security forces. This could lead to a rupture in the cooperation currently underway between the IDF and the Palestinians in the West Bank.

Zaki, who played a key role in the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas, insisted that the interim Palestinian government to be formed would not jeopardize agreements already reached with Israel.

“The new government will be totally committed to previous agreements signed with Israel. It is the government of Mahmoud Abbas who has expressed more than once his commitment to the [Israeli] partner, if he still exists,” Zaki said.

“The Palestinian people should unite to face Israeli occupation which is the most threatening to Palestinians, and put aside marginal quarrels,” he said.

Israel, which has worked hard to see the world recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization for carrying out suicide bombings and rocket attacks, is adamant that the inclusion of Hamas renders the new Palestinian government ineligible for international support. Israel Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said he was freezing the transfer of some $88 million in tax money to the PA.

On Wednesday, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad adopted a belligerent tone when he called on the public to “mobilize” against Israel for the step.